If Only
by netangel182
Summary: War has once again consumed the wizarding world and this time it is up to Harry and his friends to bring it to an end. In war there is only regret and hope and the trio fight their way through as best they can.
1. ANDisclaimer

Author's note: This story started as a simple idea for a one-shot. However, when I sat down to write, the prologue alone turned out to be ten plus pages. So the plan has changed. I will do my best to post often. There are a lot of pairings going on, but mostly Hermione/Ron and Harry/Ginny.

Disclaimer: Yes, you all know this. I don't own anything. If only…


	2. Chapter 1

Ron sucked in a deep breath as he stared at the flickering windows of his childhood home. Even in the depths of war, it appeared that nothing had changed. He spent immeasurable hours counting his blessings that his family remained relatively unscathed in this deadly war. Granted his oldest brother was forever scarred and the twins were unaccounted for, but Ron never lost hope. If Fred and George were dead he would know. He would feel it. He thanked the powers that be that his mother was still home to cook family meals; Ginny was well protected at the newly reopened Hogwarts and Fluer, and the newest addition to the Weasley brood: his nephew Will, remained safely hidden in the French countryside. All-in-all, his family was astonishingly intact, but then again, the war was far from over.

Hermione had not been so lucky. She stood beside Ron, clenching her arms around her waist as she stared up at the burrow longingly. Though she would never admit it aloud, she harbored jealousy toward Ron. His family had magic to protect them. Her parents did not. By the time that the trio realized that the mediocre protections which had been placed on their families weren't enough, it was too late for the Grangers. She would never be able to describe the feeling in the pit of her stomach when she saw the dark mark illuminating the sky over the remnants of her childhood home. Biting her lip as the memories of that night flooded back, she swallowed back tears and looked at the boys that flanked her.

_Men,_ she reminded herself, examining them in the hazy moonlight. It had been less than a year since they were at the Burrow for Bill and Fluer's wedding, but they had both aged considerably in her eyes. They stared back at her through sunken eyes that had lost the glimmer that normally danced there in their days at Hogwarts. They were both already skinny but months of sleeping on rocky ground and eating only when they got the chance had them looking more like skeletons. She was sure that she looked just the same. She was also sure that Molly would have something to say about that when they entered the Burrow.

"Shall we go in then?" she asked, her tone as light as the weight of the situation would allow.

Harry smirked. Leave it to Hermione to break the tense silence. He had no idea how she did it, but she always knew just what he and Ron needed. More than likely it was a smack upside the head or a kick in the bum, but it worked. He glanced over Hermione's head at Ron. The redhead was wringing his hands nervously and Harry had to fight to hold in a snicker as Ron reached a hand tentatively toward Hermione before withdrawing it sharply. He couldn't help the pang that he felt somewhere in his chest. He wanted to shake some sense into both of them. The connection that they had even Harry didn't understand, and yet neither of them could see it, or if they could they wouldn't act on it. The pang in his chest quickly spread until his whole body tingled. _If only…_ He sighed, willing himself not to give in to his jealousy and thought of another certain redhead.

He jumped when a firm hand landed on his shoulder. "You alright, mate?"

Running a hand though his disheveled hair, he nodded. "Sure. You guys go ahead and go in. I'll catch up."

Ron nodded solemnly and squeezed his shoulder before looking down at Hermione expectantly. She leaned up to give Harry a gentle kiss on the cheek before pulling a tight smile and following Ron toward the house. Harry watched them walk away, letting out a breath that he had been unconsciously holding. Being back at the Burrow always made him tense. It wasn't the same, not without her. He hung his head as memories flooded back. They were memories that he usually reserved for nights laying alone under the stars, or for warding off dementors. Not exactly thoughts that should be racing through his head before he faced her entire family. After a few more deep breaths, he started for the house, trying to think of anything but Ginny.


	3. Chapter 2

Hermione fought to hide the cringe that pulled at her features when Molly shrieked and pulled both herself and Ron into a tight hug. Its not that she didn't love Molly. She did. But It made her miss her own mother. Fighting for air, she pulled back quickly. Crimson rose in her cheeks when she realized how rude she must seem.

Ron basked in the warmth of his mother's arms. If the twins were there, he was sure that they would have chided him for being a "mama's boy," but he didn't care. Watching Hermione's face when they found her parents made him appreciate his mother, however overbearing she was.

Hermione. His mind jerked back to reality, and he glanced over to see the stricken look on her face, the red in her cheeks having nothing to do with the chill outside. Without giving himself time to second-guess, he reached for her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She flashed him a grin before releasing his hand and moving to greet the rest of the Weasley clan, which at the moment consisted only of Arthur and Charlie. Ron couldn't be sure, but he thought that he saw tears welling in the corners of her eyes. Before he could pursue her, there was another shriek as Harry entered the kitchen. Even from across the room, he could tell Harry's smile was fake. It always was.

Ron frowned. With Hermione it was easy. He didn't have to think of how to comfort her; it was instinctive. But with Harry, he wracked his brain for hours on end and could think of nothing that would help. Nothing that _he_ could do anyway.

Molly released Harry and he nodded his respects to the rest of the kitchen.

"We're just waiting on Remus and Tonks to start dinner." Molly scanned the trio up and down. "Good heavens look at you three. Maybe we should start dinner now."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Nonsense Mum. We're not going to waste away in the next few minutes. We can wait."

Every head in the room turned to Ron with incredulous looks. Ron grabbed a piece of bread from the counter before looking up with a mouthful. "What?"

Rare genuine laughter rang through the kitchen, but was cut short by a distinctive pop. Every wand in the room was drawn in a split second.

A very shocked red-head stood before them, eyes wide. "Woah. Stand down. It's just me."

"Ginny," Harry whispered under his breath, the first in the room to lower his wand. Ron was less convinced. As much as it killed him to point a wand at his baby sister, his job was to protect Harry. One could never be too careful.

"Honestly, Ronald," Ginny gave an exasperated sigh. She rolled her eyes and walked toward him until the tip of the wand was just inches from her forehead. Harry reached up to Ron's arm but he shrugged it off. Finny sighed and continued. "When you were ten the twins convinced you that spiders lived in your pillow and you didn't sleep for a week. Satisfied?"

Blanching, Ron lowered his wand and pulled her into a hug. "Can't be too careful. And what are you doing apparating anyway? You're not-"

"The ministry has better things to do these days than keep tabs on underage magic," Ginny whispered. "And I've been well taught when it comes to breaking the rules."

Harry felt his blood run cold when he locked eyes with Ginny across the room. Her eyes widened again and she jerked stick straight. Before wither of them could proper acknowledge each other's presence, Molly burst across the room, taking Ginny by the ear.

"Just what do you think that you are doing here young lady? What on earth would possess you to leave Hogwarts? Do you understand how dangerous it is to apparate – Wait you're not of – how did you – why?"

Hermione was sure that Molly had not drawn a breath through her entire tirade. She was also sure that Molly's brain had malfunctioned.

Ginny opened her mouth to respond but was cut short when a series of popping cut the air. They all stood up a little straighter and Molly released her daughter's ear as now-headmistress McGonagall, newly instated Defense of the Dark arts professor Bill Weasley and two men in dark cloaks, who Harry assumed to be Aurors apparated into the room.

"Miss Weasley," McGonagall's tone made it clear that she was not in the mood for any retort. "I expected more from you, young lady. Of all the students at Hogwarts, you should know better than to-"

Ash and smoke filled the room as Lupin and Tonks came through the floo in a flourish. "Minerva, what are you doing here?"

Ginny spoke up quickly. "I'm sorry that I broke the rules, Professor." She looked over McGonagall's shoulder and locked eyes with Harry. "But I felt like I had to be here."

Harry felt a lump rise in his throat and fought to swallow it down, not daring break eye contact, or wanting to. How Ginny knew that they were there was beyond him, but he was glad of it.

"While heartfelt, that is not a sufficient excuse to break the rules, Miss Weasley. You are a prefect. I know that you understand that." McGonagall followed Ginny's line of sight and visually started when she saw Harry. Putting a hand to her heart, she took a deep breath. "Potter? Weasley? Miss Granger? I didn't realize that you were here."

"Me either," Lupin commented, giving Harry a surprisingly fatherly look. Harry simply shrugged.

"William Weasley!" Molly cried, reeling on her oldest son. "You have only one job: Protect your one and only sister. And you can't even keep her in the building!"

"Keep me-" Ginny broke her eye contact with Harry and turned on her brother. "You are at Hogwarts to baby-sit me?"

Bill took a few steps back, nearly cowering behind one of the Aurors. Having one Weasley woman angry with you was bad, but having both of them bearing down on you was potentially hazardous to your health.

"I am not a little girl anymore. Don't any of you understand that?" Ginny spun on her heel and stalked to the kitchen door, darting into the garden.

Ron took a step toward the door to follow, but Hermione put her arm on his and shook her head. Though she had no idea what she would say to assure Ginny, she felt that Ron would only muddle things up as usual.

As she reached the door, Harry stepped into her path. "Let me."

Hermione nodded and smiled. If anyone knew how to comfort Ginny, it was Harry. And somehow she felt like maybe that's what Harry needed too.


	4. Chapter 3

"Never a dull moment in the Weasley house," Tonks said breaking the tense silence in the room.

Turning to face the kitchen again, Hermione came out of her stupor and stared at Tonks. Her eyes went wide. "You're pregnant!?"

The older woman chuckled, running a hand over her swelling belly and shrugged. "Indeed I am, and do none of you have the sense to feed the pregnant woman?"

Ron bit his lip to hold in his laughter. Finally someone more eager for food than he was.

"Darling," started in a cautious, but warning tone. "Do you really think this is the time to-"

"Oh shush Remus," Molly interjected. "I'm sorry Tonks, dear. Have a seat and I'll get the ham."

With a proud smirk, Tonks settled into the chair and Ron burst out laughing as Lupin's face fell and he sat beside her. It was evident who wore the pants in their marriage. He silently took a seat across from them and watched in amused silence as Remus fidgeted over his wife and was awarded with a glare. Hermione kicked Ron's leg under the table as a snicker escaped is lips.

"Minerva, Bill. Since you are here, why don't you join us?" Molly asked, levitating bowls filled with food to the table. "There is plenty to go around."

Excusing the Aurors to go back to secure Hogwarts, Minerva nodded and they pulled up chairs.

"Nice to see that you are putting the Marauder's Map to good use."

Ginny didn't flinch. She knew that someone would come after her eventually, and she had the feeling that it would be him.

"That is how you got off the grounds to apparate, right?" Ginny shrugged and Harry sat beside her with a sigh, staring at the fireflies dancing above the grass. "Gin, you don't need me to tell you how dangerous it is to leave the grounds." Ginny tried to respond, but Harry cut her off. "And you don't need me to tell you that every single person in there is just looking out for you."

"No," she said softly, swallowing hard. "You don't."

"So why'd you do it Ginny?" Harry gambled a look at her, making eye contact. "Why risk so many things just to get to the Burrow?"

She shrugged, lowering her eyes to her lap.

"Ginny-"

"I knew you were going to be here alright?" She gave an exasperated sigh, meeting his confused eyes. "I don't know how or why, but I knew."

"Ginny he could have been – it could have been a trick." Harry's pulse raced at just the thought of something happening to her. "Promise me that you'll never-"

"I'm done making promises, Harry," she said somberly, breaking eye contact and playing with a blade of grass.

Hesitantly he reached out and touched her cheek, forcing her to meet his eyes once more. "You know that-"

"I know." She held a hand to his lips. "You're still busy saving the wizarding world, but I still care. And I will take every opportunity that I can get to see you."

Without another word, she smiled and stood, starting for the house.

"Ginny!"

She stopped and took a deep breath before turning to face him.

"You don't need me to tell you that I miss you, do you?"

Even across the distance between them, Harry saw Ginny smile and felt like he was kicked in the stomach when he saw tears glistening on her cheeks in the moonlight.

"No, you don't."

Harry let out a sigh as she turned back toward the house. His eyes began to sting and he screwed up his face to keep tears from escaping. Ginny was nearly to the door when she spun around.

"But Harry," she started softly, barely audible.

"Yeah?"

"It's still good to hear."

Harry smiled and sniffled, watching her disappear into the house. He ran a hand through his hair and wiped an errant tear before reluctantly following her inside.


	5. Chapter 4

After dinner, the Weasleys and their guests were sprawled out leisurely in the living room, attempting to digest the meal that Molly force-fed them. If Harry hadn't known any better, he would think that it was just another Sunday evening dinner, not a gathering of friends in the midst of war.

He smirked, leaning on the doorframe that separated the kitchen and the living room. Rolling his head to one side, he watched Bill and Charlie engaged in a courteous, yet violent game of wizard's chess near the fireplace, Charlie absently levitating a log into the flames on occasion to keep the fire going. Ron's parents and McGonagall were in a heated discussion in the corner. His face fell as he eavesdropped on their conversation. They were discussing the protection of Hogwarts and various wizarding communities as the actions of the death eaters became more and more erratic. He was tempted to join in, but decided it best to keep his distance. He had enough to be concerned with between finding the horcruxes and Voldemort. It felt good to leave something up to someone else for a change.

The smirk returned full force when he turned to Lupin and Tonks, sitting alone in the corner. He was dutifully attending to his wife's hormonally-driven requests; which included, among other things, food rubs and seedless strawberries. His parent's old friend looked better than he had ever seen him. Tonks was good for him. He no longer wore tattered robes, but a new, clean black cloak. And that smile. It was more genuine than any Harry had ever seen. It was almost enough to make him tear up.

Tonks, who in fact was crying at that moment, though Harry could not decipher why, seemed happier than ever too. Granted not at that moment. For a woman who was bringing a child into the world in the middle of a war, she was holding up pretty well. Glowing in fact.

Harry couldn't help being envious of them. He sighed. _If only…_ That seemed to be the story of his life these days. _If only his parents could see their friend grow into fatherhood... If only Dumbledore were there to help his end this war… If only he could keep everyone safe… _

There was a crash from the kitchen.

Harry chuckled. If only Ron could hold onto a glass.

After they had finished dinner, Hermione had volunteered herself and Ron to clean up the kitchen, much to the latter's protests. Now the sight of the pair in the kitchen was downright laughable. Hermione sat perched on the counter, her nose buried in a book, idly twirling her wand over the sink and the dishes washed themselves.

"Honestly Ron," she huffed as the glass shattered on the floor. She glanced down from her book and pointer her wand at the shards, murmuring an incantation.

Ron mumbled what sounded like 'thanks' as he frantically tried to keep up drying the dishes. He never could quite get a hold of a drying spell, or any housework spells for that matter.

"Mione," he finally whined.

She cocked an eyebrow at him over her book and he groaned, turning desperately to Harry. "Help me out here, would ya?"

"This is between you two," he replied, laughing aloud at the defeated expression on his friend's face as a pile of plates fell to the floor.

"Bloody hell."

"Ronald!" Hermione and Molly scolded simultaneously.

Harry nearly doubled over in laughter, closing his eyes and leaning his head against the doorframe.

"It's good to hear you laugh again."

Harry jumped. He could feel her breath on his ear before she turned abruptly and trotted up the stairs.

_If only he could be with her._

By the time that the dishes were done and properly repaired, the Burrow had emptied significantly. After reluctantly agreeing to let Ginny stay for the night, Bill and McGonagall had returned to Hogwarts, Charlie tagging along to ensure that they weren't followed. Lupin and Tonks excused themselves early, as was habit since she had become pregnant.

Harry had borrowed Hermione's copy of Hogwarts, a History and excused himself to the bedroom that he was sharing with Ron. Around the same time, Arthur and Molly made their way upstairs, reminding Ron to put out the fire and secure the house before he went to bed.

"You're soaked," Hermione pointed out as Ron put the last of the dishes away, the innocence in her voice mocking him.

Ron cocked an eyebrow at her. "Oh am I?"

He grabbed a handful of suds and tossed them at her, landing like a crown on her head. She shrieked and Ron held a finger to his lips, shushing her with a devilish grin and a chuckle. Pointing his wand at the fireplace, he mumbled an extinguishing charm. Suddenly aware of the darkness and the closeness between them, he found it difficult to breathe. As if on their own fruition, his legs carried him toward her. Resting a hand gently on either side of her hips, he helped her off the counter. When she was safely on the ground, he reached between them, closing the book and setting it on the counter she had just vacated. Without thinking, he gently cleared the suds from her unruly curls and softly brushed a few stray suds that had fallen onto her nose.

Hermione didn't know when lips had become so fascinating, but she suddenly couldn't take her eyes off his. She rapidly felt herself inexplicably drawn to him, leaning unconsciously closer into his embrace. Tilting her head up and arching onto her toes to diminish the height difference between them, her eyes caught his. She smiled at the twinkle that reappeared there and held her breath.

"Hermione! Are you coming to bed or what?"

Ron jumped out of her arms when he heard his sister's voice from the stairwell. Even in the dim moonlight from the window, she could see the heat rising in her cheeks. Somehow he was sure his ears were redder.

"You should go," he whispered, examining his feet.

She leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek. She had done it a thousand times before, but this time was different somehow. More intimate; causing a stir that even he was only vaguely familiar with. "Sweet dreams, Ron."

She vanished upstairs and Ron leaned on the counter, suddenly feeling need for support. Did he really just nearly kiss Hermione? Half his brain screamed 'about bloody time' while the other half chided 'she's your best friend, you prat.' Shaking his head to clear all thought, he quickly performed protection charms on the house and trotted up the stairs, habitually avoiding the squeaky board just outside his room.

Hermione felt dizzy. Not only had she come mere inches from kissing Ron, another fiery redhead was currently pacing in front of her. She moaned, pulling the blankets up her chest. "Gin please, you're making me ill."

Ginny sat on her bed in a huff. Not entirely sure of what she had interrupted between Hermione and her brother earlier, she eyes her friend curiously. But one thing was for sure, the last thing that Hermione needed was to worry about her too.

"It's nothing," she mumbled under her breath.

"Oh, Ginny." Hermione sat up slightly, looking her in the eye. "I'm sorry. I'm just a little distracted right now."

Unable to resist the urge, Ginny raised her red eyebrows suggestively. "I'll bet you are."

"Oh stop." Hermione threw a pillow at her.

They were both giggling so loud that neither heard the tentative knock on the door. Only when a soft voice called Ginny's name did she stop cold. Cautiously, she crawled out of bed and cracked the door. "Harry?"


	6. Chapter 5

Harry was not entirely sure what had possessed him to go to Ginny's room that night, or how he even got there for that matter. But now, as she stood before him wearing nothing but a tank top and tiny shorts, his mouth was no longer taking orders from his brain. The speech that he had practiced in his mind for months in preparation for this moment, if it ever came, now swam in his mind just as fuzzy as the rest of his thoughts.

"Are you alright, Harry?" Ginny asked, gently touching his hand. "You're flushed."

Hermione fought a smirk. She was sure that if Ginny's hair were not covering her ears, they would be as red as Harry's cheeks. It was a universal Weasley trait. The longer the two stared at each other in silence, the more uncomfortable Hermione began to feel. She suddenly felt that she was intruding on a very private moment and wracked her brain to find an excuse to sneak out of the room. The two of them had been through so much, they deserved some time alone together. Watching them stare at each other, barely blinking, Hermione realized that she didn't need an excuse; neither of them would hear her anyway. Crawling out from under the covers, she squeezed passed Harry and slipped out into the dark, empty hallway.

As the door clicked closed behind her, Hermione sighed. Slowly starting down the dark hallway, running her hand along the wall as a guide, she chided herself for leaving her wand on the nightstand. When her hand grazed a doorknob, she looked up hopefully. There were enough empty rooms in the Burrow now that she could easily find another place to sleep while Harry and Ginny talked. Her hand froze as her eyes adjusted and she realized that she was not standing in front of an empty room. Instead she stared blankly at the familiar door, remembering her encounter with Ron in the kitchen.

Biting her bottom lip, she raised a fist to knock, but quickly thought better of it. She took one step backward and wished she hadn't. A loud squeak rang out in the empty hallway and she cursed under her breath. How could she have forgotten about the loose floorboard? She had been successfully avoiding it for years. Praying that the noise had gone unnoticed, she tiptoed toward the staircase.

Ron used to be such a heavy sleeper. Ever since he met Harry, though, his senses were sharpened, even in his sleep evidently. His eyes shot open when he heard the squeak in the hallway. Glancing to the Harry's empty cot beside him, Ron felt that something wasn't right. He grabbed his wand from under his pillow, illuminating it as he opened the door to see that everything was alright. What he saw was definitely not what he had been expecting.

"Hermione?"

He couldn't believe that the word actually came out of his mouth coherently, but they must have, because she froze and turned to face him. The sight took his breath away. Her curly hair, illuminated by the light from the tip of his wand, hung around her face like a halo and her cheeks were flushed. Her bottom lip was dark crimson and he ventured to guess that she had been biting it again. That thought caused a stirring somewhere in his stomach, or lower, he wasn't sure, but it was enough for him to become fully aware of the fact that he was standing before her shirtless.

"Ron, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." One of her large front teeth darted out and caught the side of her lower lip and she stared up at him through her thick eyelashes.

That was his undoing. It was as if something snapped inside him and Ron felt his body moving on its own fruition. The next thing he knew, he was cradling Hermione's face in his hands, devouring her tantalizing lips.

Hermione stood frozen as Ron's arms wrapped around her. It felt like time had crawled to a halt. She waited for her internal censor to kick in; that little voice in the back of her head that told her "this is wrong." But all she heard was a dull buzzing in her ears and a tingling that was quickly spreading through her body. She willed herself not to think. Before she could stop herself, she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck, tangling her fingers in his disheveled red hair and returning the kiss with equal passion.

* * *

Harry didn't dare break eye contact, even as Hermione snuck out of the room and Ginny moved to close the door behind her. He felt her hand rest delicately on his back, her fingers like ice against his bare skin. Why had he not grabbed a shirt as he snuck out of Ron's room? Any coherent thought that he has was quickly cleared from his mind when she ran her cool hand around his waist at the top of his lowly tied pajama pants and over his chest to rest on his shoulder. 

He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off quickly, covering his lips with hers. He pulled her closer, losing himself in the kiss momentarily before pulling back slightly. "Ginny we can't-"

Ginny was growing tired of the mixed signals that Harry was giving her. Barring any more protests, she pulled him flush against her crushing her lips into his. She bit gently at his lower lip, begging for access, which he allowed with little protest. She couldn't help smiling into his lips. She never realized how much she had missed him until that moment. Harry took advantage the break in the kiss and ducked his head down to the crook of her neck, leaving feather-light kisses as he went.

"I love you Ginny," he murmured into her skin.

Ginny pulled him back up so that she could look into his deep green eyes. He nodded slowly at her unspoken question and gently kissed her before repeating. "I love you."

"I love you too, boy wonder," she teased, running both her hands down his spine, causing a shiver that she couldn't help being a little proud of.

Unconsciously, Harry began to push her backward until her knees buckled against the back of the bed and she pulled them both down onto it. Every conscious thought was telling him to pull back. Walk away. But then there were the other impulses telling him this was exactly where he wanted to be. Other impulses that were currently making him feel like he was on fire. Other impulses that were suddenly making his pajamas uncomfortable and tempting him to run his hands all over her body. The other impulses won out as he snaked a hand under the thin material of her tank top while his tongue explored the forgotten caverns of her mouth.

He idly acknowledged that Ginny had picked up her wand and pointed it at the door, assumedly locking it before her hands began to roam his body and he wasn't aware of anything anymore.

* * *

Hermione pulled back from Ron just far enough to draw a shaky breath. She blushed when she realized that one of her hands had wandered down to the sharp bone of Ron's hip, pulling him against her. But he didn't seem to mind much. In fact his hand was even less innocent, palming the smooth skin under her camisole, just below the curve of her breast. He suddenly realized what he was doing and pulled it back like he had been burned. She smirked at his reddened ears. 

More brazen than she could ever have predicted, she leaned up and nibbled gently on his earlobe. "Let's go inside, shall we?"

Ron wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her off the ground and holding her tight against him as he backed into the room. Kicking the door closed behind him, he laid her gently on his bed. He couldn't help but think that she looked like she belonged there, among his rumpled sheets and Cannons blankets. Though he didn't have much time to think at all as Hermione took his hand and pulled him toward her.

With the little will power that he had left, he slipped his hand from her grasp, kneeling down next to the bed so that he could easily look her in the eye. "Hermione, is this… are we… I…"

Hermione smiled. Whatever Ron was trying to get out must have been difficult but he looked so cute that she couldn't help herself. She ran a hand along the rough stubble of his chin before dropping a chaste kiss on his lips. Somehow it seemed to clear his thoughts at least a little.

"What do you say we slow down a little, Mione?" Ron cracked his trademark crooked grin at the confusion in her eyes. He shifted his weight so that he was sitting next to her on the bed and kissed her forehead. "It's taken us six years to get here and I love you too much to muddle this up."

Hermione's eyes widened. "What did you say?"

"Oh come on, Mione, you and I both know that I've never been good at-"

"Not that, Ronald. Did you just-"

"Oh," Ron said, wrapping his arms around her waist so she had no choice but to look into his eyes. "The part where I said I love you?"

She nodded.

"I do. You know that."

She pulled out of his arms. "Yeah, I guess I do."

Ron felt like his heart was about to pop out of his chest as Hermione sat beside him in silence. "And?"

"Um." She pretended to mull it over for a moment, crawling into his lap with very un-Hermione-like grace. "I love you too."

He groaned and fought the urge to ravage her right then and there. "Bloody hell, you're not making this easy for me."

She blushed and stood. "I suppose I should go then."

"I didn't say that." Ron quickly bolted up and stepped into her path.

Suddenly they both became aware of muffled noises coming from next door. Ron's eyes widened as the sounds became much more pronounced moans. He felt his knees buckle and he sat back on the bed, resting his head in his hands. "Please tell me that's not what I think it is."

"Well I don't think it's you parents," Hermione teased, sitting beside him. "if it makes you feel any better."

"It doesn't," he deadpanned.

"I really should teach Harry a silencing spell," she mused.

"Mione!"

She bit back a giggle and gave him the best innocent look that she could manage. Slowly, she pushed off the bed and crossed to Harry's cot on the other side of the room.

Ron grabbed for her hand and pulled her back to him. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Well I sure can't go back to my bed now can I?"

All teasing suddenly vanished from Ron's face and he looked straight into her caramel eyes. "Stay here with me. Please."

"But you said that-"

Ron cut her off with a soft kiss. "Just lay here with me. I sleep better when you are close."

She smiled and cuddled in next to him, her head fitting perfectly in the crook of his neck.


End file.
